Another weather delay at the US Women's Open

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. - Here we go again. Bring out the evacuation vans and pull the players off the course, it?s time for another weather delay here at the US Women?s Open.

This Open seems plagued: Wednesday?s practice round was cut short by weather. Yesterday?s first round included an almost four-hour delay, forcing 26 players to finish their rounds early this morning. And now we?re hit again, this time with rather alarming crashes of lightning in the not-so-far-off-distance.

To their credit, the USGA is handling the delays well. Think of the logistical difficulty pulling every player, their caddies, clubs, standard bearers, and officials off the course and then replacing them in the proper order, no delays, no one left behind, pretty much simultaneously. It takes a well-oiled machine. Of course, by this time they’ve got it down to a science.

“Call out the vans,” a USGA official barked into his walkie. “Same drill as yesterday.”

Within minutes of the horn sounding, evac vans appeared to whisk the players to the clubhouse. Ninth fairway, ninth green, tenth fairway, tenth green?each van is neatly labeled with the players? locations on the course when they were pulled so when the all-clear sounds, players tumble out of the clubhouse and are returned to their original spots. It’s like a fire drill, only organized.

And what do the players do during the delays? Some play pool or ping pong. Some just lay down on the clubhouse floor and take a little nap.

Yesterday?s delay pushed today?s tee times back more than two hours. Who knows what today?s will do. Brandon Tucker and I may well still be here ?reporting from the Open? come next Tuesday.

5 comments

You see, if they brought the ladies here to southern AZ, there would be no weather delays. It is predicted to be 110-115 this week, no rain, a just a gentle breeze. It's just like golf on the planet Venus (if that is still considered one.)

Jennifer Mario, author of “Michelle Wie: The Making of a Champion,” blogs for TravelGolf.com about LPGA Tour stars such as Wie and Annika Sorenstam. She also follows the PGA and writes about golf equipment, kids golf, resorts, and more.

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